A Place of Acceptance
by Madame of all Manga
Summary: All Mihashi ever wanted was a place to be accepted. He finally finds one but then the school sets up a rule that those in sports have to join another sport for a week. Will Abe still accept him?


It was Mihashi's second year of high school. There was a new rule put into place that said that all of those in a sport had to join another one of their choosing. Abe chose basketball. Everyone else joined other various sports. Mihashi couldn't think of any that he wanted to join. He tried many but none of the teams accepted him. He soon found one that did accept him but it wasn't the one that Abe had joined. Mihashi thought that Abe would be mad at him for not joining the same one as he did. Even if Abe wouldn't be mad Mihashi would feel lonely. He would want to be with Abe at all times even if it would only be for a week that they would have to be on different teams.

Mihashi decided to lie and say that he still had not chosen a different sport to join. This was not technically a complete lie because while he had found a sport to join he still had not joined the team he was looking at.

Abe-kun decided to help Mihashi look for the sport he would join since they had to choose one for next week. Next week was the time when they would do the exchange deal that was supposed to promote "acceptance in all the students for different groups of people."

Most of the students found it fun and exciting. There were others who thought it was stupid and pointless. Then there were those who had no opinions on it at all. Finally there was Mihashi who was scared of it.

Abe helped Mihashi find a group to join and it ended up being the same one that Mihashi had been looking at before. Finally the day before they had to sign up Mihashi joined Track and Field. Both Abe and Mihashi felt that this was a perfect choice for Mihashi because then he could run, do relays, and yet he would still be able to throw balls by doing shot put. The best part of it all though was that there would be less fighting about all of it so Mihashi wouldn't have to worry about truly getting hurt.

Soon it was the week for the exchange. Abe went to his basketball practice while Mihashi went to his Track practice. Mihashi soon found out that Tajima was also at the Track practice. Tajima says that it was because of all of his energy making it the perfect choice for him. Mihashi was glad because at least he wouldn't be all alone. What Mihashi didn't know though was that Abe had asked Tajima to join Track to keep an eye on Mihashi and to make Mihashi not feel so lonely. Abe would have done that but he had already told Mihashi that he had joined basketball. Tajima had to comply with his friend's wish and besides Tajima really couldn't let Mihashi be all alone and on a team of people that didn't understand him.

That whole week Mihashi had tons of fun. The first day Mihashi had tried the shot put but found that he kept trying to throw it like a baseball so they didn't allow him to do that activity anymore. On the second day he tried the high jump with Tajima. Well, really he would have had it not looked so scary so he ended up just watching the others do it. For the third day he tried to do a relay. While doing the relay he ended up falling at the very end and got so embarrassed even if he fell right over the line so he didn't have to worry about having fallen in the middle of the relay and failed everyone. The fourth day he decided to try doing the triple jump. He found this one of the most challenging things that he did second only to the shot put. On the fifth day he decided to try the regular long jump. This was much easier for him and he found it very fun. Finally for the last day he decided to do the 100 meter dash.

It was now the next week and the baseball team was back together. Tajima gave his report on Mihashi's time on the track team to Abe. Abe was very surprised by what he heard. He had thought there would be many problems with the week exchange but it turns out that there weren't any. Abe let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

He soon noticed that Mihashi was looking around nervously. Abe thought that something bad was going on so he decided to ask Mihashi about it when he got the chance. That chance came up very quickly because Momoe had just told them to practice separate from everyone else with their pitches. Abe took the chance and asked Mihashi what was troubling him. Mihashi just have his usual goofy look and tried to laugh it off. Abe found Mihashi would not tell him. Well Abe would not give up either. He would follow Mihashi until he got his answer.

Abe had many theories on what was troubling Mihashi and none of them were good. The first was that Mihashi was sick and he wouldn't tell Abe because of their promise. His second theory was that Mihashi had been told that he would be moving and he couldn't tell anyone because he was so sad and didn't want them to worry. Abe's third and final theory was that Mihashi was being bullied. This theory, Abe thought, was the most likely and yet one of the most unsettling. He figured if this was the reason that Mihashi did not want to tell anyone because he was threatened and/or he didn't want to worry anyone. Abe got mad just thinking of any of these reasons. He swore that if Mihashi really was being bullied that he would find those idiots and teach them a lesson.

The next day Mihashi was still acting strange. Abe decided that he would take matters into his own hands and followed him around discretely when he was out of the classroom. When he was in the classroom though, he asked that Tajima keep an eye on Mihashi. Tajima, who thought of Mihashi as brother, decided to comply again too Abe's wish. Mihashi never figured out what was going on with them.

After practice Abe asked Mihashi if he could walk home with him. Mihashi, who was freaked out, quickly shook his head not daring to speak.

The next day Mihashi was not at school because he had caught a cold. Abe was worried about him and went to his house after school to check on him. When Abe came into Mihashi's room Mihashi started to blush. Abe asked what was wrong but Mihashi would not answer. He kept burying his head deeper under the covers. After a few minutes of this Abe couldn't take it anymore and pulled the covers off of the bed. He noticed that Mihashi just started to blush even more. Abe asked Mihashi once again what was wrong. This time he got a mumbled response. He asked again and Mihashi said clearly enough for Abe to hear it that Abe was getting too close and it was making him nervous. Abe looked and sure enough Abe was close enough to kiss Mihashi. He was only about 2 inches from actually kissing him. Even though it looked like Mihashi would get angry at him Abe took the chance and closed the distance between them.

Outside the door through the crack Tajima and the other team member were there along with Mihashi's mother. Tajima took out a camera and quickly got a picture after zooming in. He had taken the picture just in time for the next second they broke apart.

Abe was surprised he had just done that. Mihashi was shocked that Abe did that also but he was so glad that he had. Mihashi asked Abe why he did that and Abe blushed and said that it was because he liked him. Mihashi was again shocked by that but replied that he liked him also.

Abe took this chance to as why Mihashi was acting so strange this week. Mihashi replied nervously that he had been thinking of also joining track because he found it so enjoyable. Abe was surprised at that and yet glad that it wasn't something serious. He replies to that though that Mihashi can't join Track because Mihashi is now his. Mihashi asked if that kiss and their confessions meant that they were going out now. Abe replied while blushing that yes it did.

After hearing this, the rest of the team and Mihashi's mom burst in congratulating the new couple. Abe saw the camera Tajima was holding and shouted at him.

The next day all over the school Tajima was selling pictures of Abe and Mihashi's kiss.


End file.
